Linda Noskova produced a career-defining performance to reach the China Open final, saving three match points in a 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(6) semifinal victory over No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula. The 20-year-old’s win guarantees a Top 20 debut next week and makes her the youngest Czech to reach a Tier I or WTA 1000 final since 1990, supplanting Petra Kvitova.

The deciding set was tense from the outset. Both players exchanged early breaks before Pegula claimed another in the 11th game and went on to serve for the match. She held a 40-15 lead in the penultimate game and had three match points, but Noskova broke back. Pegula later led 3-1 and 5-4 in the tiebreak, the latter with two service points to come, but Noskova prevailed and closed out the set and match.

It was a high-quality contest that produced 77 winners between the two players, 42 of them from Noskova. The Czech called the encounter, “the best match [between them] yet.” Afterward she added, “It was just a few points … win or lose. Jessie played incredible,” and improved her head-to-head against the 2024 US Open finalist to 2-1.

Noskova’s run through the draw marks the biggest final of her career and places her in a final against Amanda Anisimova. That title match will be only the second WTA 1000 final contested by two players born after 2000, following the February Dubai final between Mirra Andreeva and Clara Tauson. Anisimova reached the China Open final by routing defending champion Coco Gauff in under an hour.

Noskova’s recovery from match points and her ability to lift in the pressure moments defined a breakthrough evening at the China Open and set up a young final with significant implications for both players’ seasons.

Amanda Anisimova produced a commanding performance at the China Open, dispatching Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-2 in 58 minutes to advance to the tournament final. The straight-sets victory in the Beijing semifinal moves Anisimova into her fifth final of the year and marks the third WTA 1000 final of her career.

Anisimova reached this stage previously as runner-up in Toronto last year, losing that final to Jessica Pegula, and she claimed a WTA 1000 title in Doha earlier this season. Now ranked a career-high No. 4, she has compiled a remarkable series of wins over this season’s top-ranked players.

She is the only player this year to have beaten the current top three in the world: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 2 Iga Swiatek and No. 3 Coco Gauff. Those wins were recorded on the sport’s biggest stages: Sabalenka in the semifinals of Wimbledon, Swiatek in the quarterfinals of the US Open and Gauff in the semifinal at Beijing.

On Saturday, Anisimova combined early aggression with consistent depth to control both sets. The scoreline reflected a matchup dominated by Anisimova’s power and precision, as she closed out the match inside an hour and reserved energy for the final.

The Beijing result reinforces Anisimova’s status among the leading players this season and extends a run of results that has included deep runs at the tour’s most significant events. She will now prepare for the China Open final with a clear set of recent high-level victories behind her.

© 2025 Robert Prange

Defending champion Coco Gauff advanced to the China Open semifinals for the third consecutive year, defeating Eva Lys 6-3, 6-4. The second-seeded American was under pressure on her serve, facing seven break-point opportunities, but Lys, the German contender seeking her first WTA title, converted only three. Lys also lost her serve five times against the French Open champion.

Gauff struggled at moments on serve but kept her aggression at the net and from the baseline when it mattered. She built a 6-3 first set and closed out the second without surrendering a decisive momentum shift, converting key points to prevent a comeback by Lys.

“She’s a tough opponent, she hit some incredible shots on the run,” said Gauff, who is seeking her 11th career title. “I was trying my best to stay aggressive. Just staying confident in my game and not being too passive.”

The win sets up a semifinal against either third-seeded Amanda Anisimova or No. 6 Jasmine Paolini. Anisimova is noted in the draw as the Wimbledon and U.S. Open runner-up, while Paolini recently helped Italy successfully defend the Billie Jean King Cup.

Gauff’s progression to the last four continues a string of deep runs at this event and keeps her on course in a tournament where she is the reigning champion. Lys fell short in converting multiple break opportunities and could not sustain the pressure long enough to overcome Gauff’s balance between offense and defense.

The semifinal line-up will be confirmed after the remaining quarterfinal concludes, with Gauff waiting to learn which opponent she will face for a chance to extend her title defense.